Tape control device



Dec. 112, 1950 w. J. HANSON TAPE CONTROL DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 13, 1946 BY im m ATTORNEY Dec 2 T1950 w. J. HANSON 2,533,317

TAPE common DEVICE Filfid July 1s, 1.946 4 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Z; INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1950 w. J. HANSON TAPE CDNTROL DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 13, 1946 35 M/I ZEK' W220 aim ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1950 w. J. HANSON 2,533,317

TAPE CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet, 4;

INV TOR /7 d 4/760 4. 7- 211 ziwmg ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1950 OFFICE TAPE CONTRUL DEVICE Walter E. Hanson, Port Ghester, N. Y., assignor to Pit' ey-Bowes. Ina, Stamford, Conn, a corporation of Delaware Application July 13, 1946, Serial N0. 683,502

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a tape control device which is particularly adapted for use with a metered mail machine wherein impressions are adapted to be printed on either letters or tape.

It is the particular object of this invention to provide means whereby a tape feed roller may be actuated intermittently in a forward and reverse direction while the driving medium rotates continuously in the same direction.

In Patent 2,273,265 a tape feed device is disclosed wherein two rollers frictionally engage either side of the tape and a drive is alternated to effect the drive of one then the other of the two rollers to effect the initial feed of the tape, and after a printing and cutting operation, to return the leading end of the tape to a starting position.

With the mechanism provided by means of this invention, the feed of the tape in both a forward and reverse direction is effected through the control of a single feed roller.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l i a front view with part in elevation and. part in section, showing the tape control mechanism, also the printin drum;

Fig. 2 is an end sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of Fig. l, with the guide means removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the tape feed and actuating mechanism showing the parts in a home position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and showing the parts in the position they assume during an initial tape advancing operation with the leading end of the tape approaching a printing pick-up position;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 with the parts in the position they assume during the printing of the tape;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts in the position they assume just prior to tape cutting;

Fig. 7 is also a view similar to Fig. 3, showing parts in a tape cutting position;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the tape feed actuating element;

Fig. 9 is a detailed view of the choke cam and knife actuating element; and

Fig. 10 is a plan view taken along the lines I l3-I ll of Fig. 6 with the idler pinion removed.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a tape guide track It is supported by a bracket l2 and is adapted to direct the tape to the top surface of an impression roller l3. Said impression roller is mounted on a shaft it, supported by the bracket l2, and is adapted to be driven during each printing cycle of the machine. A printing drum l4 cooperates with said impression roller l3 to effect the printing of a postage impression upon the tape when the leadin end of the tape has been advanced to a printing position, and is further adapted to print on letters instead of tape, if desired. Said printing drum and impression roller is adapted to be driven in the usual well known manner. Inasmuch as the present invention is related to tape controlling means, the specification will be restricted to such means, but information concernin the drive, can be found in Patents 2,141,119 and 2,204,972.

When printing is to be efiected, the printing drum and impression roller will rotate upon tripping the machine and a pinion l5, fixed to the impression roller shaft It, will rotate therewith. An intermediate gear ll, carried by a shaft I3, is supported by the bracket I2 and is adapted to be driven by the pinion 55. A segmental actuator gear l9, best shown in Fig. 8, is also fixed to the shaft l8, and thus rotates with the intermediate gear ll. Said segmental gear comprises two gear segments 2! and 22 which are positioned in the same plane, and another gear segment 23, which is oifset from the plane of the segments 2| and 22.

A tape feed roller 24 is carried by a shaft 25, which shaft is supported by the bracket l2 and is positioned so that the surface thereof will engage the tape along the lower side thereof. R0- tation of said tape feed roller 24% is effected in a clockwise direction to advance the tape when an inside pinion portion 25a of a pinion 26 on said shaft 25 is driven by either of two gear segment portions 2l--22 of the tape feed actuator gear 89.

An idler pinion 27 is supported on a stud carried by the bracket i2. As best seen in Fig. 2, said idler pinion 27 includes an inside toothed portion 2%, which is adapted to be engaged by the offset gear segment portion 23, and further includes an outside toothed portion 21b which meshes with an outside toothed portion 26b of the pinion 26.

Rotation of the impression rolle I3 is in a clockwise direction to effect the feed of the tape to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1. Through the drive of pinion l and gear II, the pinion 26 will be driven in a clockwise direction to thus rotate the tape feed roller 24 in the same direction, when either of the two gear segment portions 2| or 22 drive said pinion 26. When however, the offset gear segment portion 23 drives the idler pinion 21, a reverse drive is efiected in the tape feed roller 25, the purpose of which will be more fully described later.

Associated with the tape feed roller 24 is an idler roller 29, which roller i carried on a shaft 3|, supported by the bracket 12. The tape upon being fed by the tape feed lOller Ed is engaged between said roller 2 and idler roller 29.

A choke cam is fixed to the shaft G8, which carries the intermediate gear ill, and is provided with three choke cam surfaces 32a, 32b and 320. Said choke cam 32 is adapted to effect the choking of the pinion 25: while the tape is being advanced during a printing operation, also when cutting is effected, and again when the mechanism is in a home position; Suitable recesses 33 are provided in the teeth of the pinion portion 26a for this purpose, as best shown in Fig. 10.

Cutting means is provided as indicated at Fig. 7, which comprises a rotary cutter member 35, supported by the bracket 62, and is adapted to rotate within a fixed cutter member Cutting is effected at the cutting edge At one end of the rotary cutter S5 is a gear segment 2? and meshed therewith is another segmental gear portion 33. The latter is pivotally supported on a stud 39, carried by the bracket 82. An arm 4! extending from the segment gear is adapted to be engaged by an offset portion 32 of the choke cam member 32, when the choke cam is rotated, to thereby eifect rotary movement of the rotary cutter 35 when a tape cutting operation is to be eiiected. Said arm ii is maintained in the path of the offset portion 42 by the action of a spring Q3, which spring normally urges the arm against a stop pin ii Reference will now be made to the operation of the device as shown in the several steps illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and '7. The tape indicated at T, as located in its normal home position, Fig. 3, has its leading end withdrawn below the printing surface of the impression roller l3, and the choke cam surface 320 is in a choking position relative to the recess portions 33 in the teeth of the pinion 25. Assuming that a cycle of operation is to be started to eifect printing on tape, the various parts will move in the direction of the arrows, as indicated in Fig. 4, with the segment portion 22 driving the portion 26a of the pinion 26 to effect rotation of the tape feed roller 23 and consequent movement of the tape toward a printing position, as indicated in Fig. 4. The printing drum is will have advanced in the meantime, and when a printing die surface Ma thereof reaches the tap center of the impression roller, the leading end of the tape will be engaged thereby and driven forward while printing is effected, as shown best in Fig. 5. During said printing operation the choke cam 32b engages the teeth of the pinion 26. To permit free movement of the tape between the tape feed roller 25 and idler roller 29 during the printing operation, a recess is provided, as at 44 in the roller 2 at the position of normal point of contact by the rollers 24 and 29.

After the printing operation has been completed, the tape is again advanced, as shown in Fig. 6, to move the leading end thereof through the rotary cutter, which movement is effected when the segmental teeth 2! drive the pinion portion 26a.

During the cutting operation, indicated in Fig. 6, the offset portion 42 of the choke cam member 32 will have engaged with the arm 4! of the cutter actuator to efiect rotation of the rotary cutter 35 and cause the printed portion of the tape to be severed from the tape strip. During said cutting operation, the choke cam portion 32 is in a choking position relative to recessed teeth 33 of the pinion portion 26a.

With the printing and the cutting of the printed portion of the tape completed, the leading end of the tape is returned to its initial home position, which operation is effected when the teeth of the offset segmental portion 23 engage and drive the pinion portion 27a of the idler pinion 27. Through the drive of the pinion 23 by the idler pinion 21, the tape feed roller 2 is driven in a reverse direction, as indicated by the direction of the arrows in Fig. '7, to thus effect the return of the tape to it normal home position, Fig. 3;

Having described the invention what is claimed 1. In a tape treating device, tape advancing and retracting means comprising a driven roller and an idler roller having peripheral engagement With tape position therebetween, drive means associated with the driven roller including a segmental drive gear, a pinion carried by the driven roller and adapted to be driven by said segmental gear to advance the tape, means to sever the advanced portion of the tape, an idler pinion meshing with the first named pinion, and another segmental drive gear aligned with the idler pinion and rotatable with the first named se ment to effect the drive of said idler pinion and thereby effect the drive of the driven roller in a reverse direction for the return of the leading end of the tape to its home position.

2. In a tape printing and cutting device, tape advancing and retracting means comprising a driven roller and an idler roller having peripheral engagement with tape positioned therebetween, drive means associated with the driven roller including a segmental drive gear, a pinion carried by the driven roller and adapted to be driven by said segmental gear to advance the printed portion of the tape to a cutting position, an idler pinion meshing with the nanzc-d pinion, and another segmental drive gear aligned with the idler pinion and rotatable with the first named segment to effect the drive of said idler pinion and thereby effect the drive of the driven roller in a reverse direction for the return of the leading end of the tape to its home position after cutting the printed portion thereof.

3. In combination with a tape printing and cutting device, tape advancing and retracting means comprising a driven roller and an idler roller having peripheral engagement with tape positioned therebetween, drive means associated with the driven roller including a drive gear having two gear segment portions, and gearing including a pinion carried by the driven roller and driven by one segment to advance the tape 5 from a non-printing to a printing position and REFERENCES CITED by i 9 to h The following references are of record in the cutting position after prlnting, an idler pinion me of this patent: meshing with the first named pinion of said 1 I gearing, and another segmental drive gear UNITED s'lATEs PATENTS aligned with the idler pinion and rotatable with Number Name Date the drive gear to effect the drive of the idler ,804,138 Yeider May 5, 1931 pinion and thereby effect the drive of the driven 1,846,785 Breitiing Feb. 23, 1932 roller in a reverse direction to return the lead- 6 l c 11 a June 1937 ing end of the tape to its non-printing position. H1 2,273,294 Strother Feb. 17, 1942 2,361,626 Helsel Oct. 31, 1944 WAL E HANSON 2,378,709 Keen et a]. June 19, 1945 

